When Madison was little, she always wanted to be a teacher. She was so inspired by the influence her teachers had on her, how much time they spent making sure she was okay, so she was drawn to it. She's sure that if she hadn't had such a traumatic childhood, full of sexual assault and dead beat father figures, she wouldn't have clung so harshly to the idea of teaching.

When she was a senior in high school, she started her youtube channel. She moved to LA after graduation, but ultimately ended up in San Diego after discovering LA wasn't for her. College wasn't part of the equation after her channel took off, and neither was teaching. Although it felt like a piece of her had broken off, she was experimenting with new dreams and new outcomes to her previously shitty life.

She met Rae through the grapevine of influencers, and worked hard at their friendship in the beginning, trying to find new friends that would actually care and understand her. When she took her break, Rae had been the only one there for her, and Rae had introduced her to true friends that checked up on her often and genuinely cared.

But Madison always felt selfish when she complained about her life. Madison got lucky, and she knew it. Plenty of people work for years at their online influence and she was lucky that hers sparked overnight, and never faltered. She had gotten used to the fake smiles and double life she seemed to lead, but she hadn't gotten used to feeling her feelings fully.

She had to hide it by day, and cry by night, and when she finally did had a chance to think and feel, it always got overshadowed by her intrusive thoughts and anxiety. She didn't cope with new information well, and always pushed herself far from people who seemed to care about her.

Which is why, when Corpse asks her to be exclusively with him, she runs.

She hadn't meant to. But it was instinct. Any problem she's ever faced, she ends up running from it, and if its still there when she comes back, she runs some more.

She tried to play it off like something had come up, but Corpse wasn't stupid, and any day now he would calling her, trying to get her to talk to him. She already knew he had been contacting their friends, making sure Madison was okay, even if she wouldn't respond to him.

Madison stood at the edge of the bed, watching Rae's facial expressions as she explained exactly what happened, detail by detail. "We were just laying in bed, and I knew I had to say something about him telling me that... he wasn't even drunk when he said it! At first, I told him I knew I had said it too, when I was drunk, and I wouldn't be upset if it was an accident. But then he started to explain things, about how he just didn't know what to say and when... And I panicked. I could tell he was about to tell me he loved me, for real this time, and I hadn't even thought that far. So I told him he had to go. And he was confused! But I said it was a family emergency and I was going to have to go home for a few days... he didn't even know where home was, but he still told me to be safe, and promised we would continue to talk when I came home. Now, I don't know what to do because I love him, and I want to be with him, but I don't want to fuck up what we already have, and I know labels always fuck it up."

Initially, she seemed confused, then disappointed. "Maddie..." she sighed, "he's putting his feelings on the line for you, and you think its okay to lie to him just so you don't have to accept your own feelings? How is that fair to him?"

"I'm not saying it is, Rae."

"It doesn't matter what you say or don't say. Right now, your actions are proving that you're too immature to be in a relationship with him! You're an adult, Madison. You don't run away from problems, you solve them! He's not a toy you can drag on the floor behind you and drop it whenever you feel like it."

"I'm not, Rae. I'm just confused! I don't know what I-"

"No, you do know. You just don't want to put yourself out there because you're scared he'll end up like every other man in your life. Gone. And eventually, that fear is going to become a reality, if you don't get your shit together, and talk to him. I'm sorry, but Corpse is my friend too. He's been so nice to you, and you've taken advantage of every situation you've put him in, even if he won't tell you that."

The worst part was Madison knew Rae wasn't wrong. Madison had, unintentionally, used him. The realization made it even harder for her to want to talk to him, but she couldn't be selfish forever. Eventually she was going to have to make decisions for his well-being, not hers.

But Madison was scared. Incredibly horrified. If Corpse really felt the way Rae said he should, why would he want to be with Madison? Had he already changed his mind? Was she going to finally tell him everything, and he would be too pissed off to still feel the same about her?

The unknown was horrifying, but continuing to run was worse.

big chapter coming up next!

i also saw that a lot of people seem to be okay with smut or sexy chapters in general, as long as there's a warning.... honestly, i don't know what to do so i think i'm going to play it out and just see where the story goes.

if you have any scenes/suggestions you want to happen for madison and corpse, leave them here!

thank you guys so much for everything. i woke up to being #1 in the corpse husband tag, and having over 22k reads. i couldn't believe it.

you guys are insane and i love you all dearly.